


Damsel Not in Distress

by TwentySomethingTurd



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: #herewego, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Idk what i'm doing, Wayhaught - Freeform, first work on here, or if I'm doing it right, probs not - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 18:33:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9670997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwentySomethingTurd/pseuds/TwentySomethingTurd
Summary: AU Nicole is a new cop at Purgatory PD when she discovers a woman passed out in the back of her SUV. (*Spoiler* It's Waverly!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I am new to AO3, but I discovered it while trying to find a forum to read Wayhaught stories on. So, I decided after reading a ton of them to try to write one of my own. Please excuse any mistakes spelling, grammar or otherwise, they are all mine. Also, I am not a TBI survivor, in a wheelchair, or a Service Dog handler, so if anything in this story is offensive, tell me! I have talked with a SD handler as well as trainer to make this feel as authentic as possible. Thanks for giving this a shot! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

 “I know, I know, Bugs. Hold on and I’ll set you free in a sec.” Waverly spoke to her Australian Shepherd in a knowing and loving manner. She pulled her car into the space before unclipping the vest from her pup. She opened her car door, pivoting herself sideways in the seat.

  
“Sit, Bugsie. I’ll let you out in a second. You know the process, pup.” She grabbed her wheelchair piece by piece, locking them in place before adding her homemade cushion to make it a little bit more comfortable.

  
Unlike what people thought, sitting in a wheelchair for twelve plus hours a day got old fast. Not being able to stretch to her full height made her bones ache and her legs fall asleep multiple times a day. Along with the aches and pains of her own body with the chair, the stares from the public were the worst. Waverly didn’t look “disabled” or “sick”. She was average height and weight for a girl her age. She had, for the most part, a bubbly and outgoing personality. But she was who she was: a girl in a wheelchair with a service dog who was her world.

  
Now settled in her chair, she rolled her way over to the passenger side of her car, also known as “Bugsie’s seat” by close friends and family. When she opened up his door Bugsie bounded out of the car, jumping and running about. He did run back to check on Waverly, but she just waved him off, laughing as he ran around like the cute idiot that he was when he wasn’t wearing his vest. When Bugsie was wearing his vest he was a very different dog. He still had a sweet and caring personality, but he was never distracted by anything. All of his focus was on Waverly, as it should be. At least once or twice a week though, Waverly liked to take him to the park in town to get his energy out and for him to be himself. While she did take his vest off at home, he still had responsibilities and kept one eye on her at all times even when playing with her family’s other dogs. Even during his down times like napping if she was gone from his sight for more than a few minutes, he would seek her out and continue his nap by, or most of the time on her lap of some fashion.

  
“Go get it, Bugsie!” Waverly threw stuffed his favorite stuffed, squealing pig. He ran and got it, dropping it on her foot rests. This went on for a majority of an hour. It wasn’t until upon his return from a fetch that Bugsie stopped in his tracks. He immediately dropped his pig and nosed Waverly’s knee, an alert to let her know she was going to pass out. She sighed, turning herself around and made her way back to her car. She opened her back seat up and commanded Bugsie get in before her. As she made it up to the back of her car she felt herself getting dizzy.

  
“Good boy, Bugs.” Waverly praised her dog before laying on her back, the safest position for her to be in during one of her spells. Bugsie made his way horizontally across her body, his paws pressured on her chest, waiting for what he already knew was going to happen.

  
This is why she was so grateful to have Bugsie make his way into her life. Before Bugsie, and after her third traumatic brain injury, she would have a pass out episode at least four to five times a good week. That didn’t count the dizzy spells that she experienced daily. Before Bugsie she wasn’t able to tell the difference between the two, but now with him he gives her two separate alerts for the different episodes. A nose nudge to the knee for a pass out spell and a nose nudge to the elbow for a dizzy spell, which usually doesn’t amount to much other than him giving her a bottle of water and putting his paws on her upper thighs using deep pressure therapy to keep her steady and focused.

* * *

 Nicole was still new to the area, so she really didn’t know the layout of the park that she was told it was her turn to patrol. But nonetheless, she got into her cruiser and drove there no questions asked. She parked in the parking lot, making her way down the pathway from the main entrance. She made her rounds, taking the main path around the perimeter of the area. It wasn’t until she noticed a red SUV parked down at the back entrance of the park that she got suspicious. She wasn’t aware of anyone other than park rangers and maintenance that had access to that entrance.

  
She made her way closer to the lone car, stopping just shy of the front of the car when she saw the unmoving body of a woman in the back. Her left hand made its way to the holster of her gun, unsnapping it but leaving the gun in place.

  
“Hello?” Nicole spoke out, body turning cautiously, looking around the area. She made her way to the back of the vehicle. The door to the back of the SUV was open and when Nicole got closer, she saw there was a dog with the woman. She slowed her approach, not knowing if the dog was aggressive.

  
“Hey, puppy. What happened, huh?” She looked into the car when she got close enough. There didn’t seem to be any signs of foul play. She saw how the dog reacted to her approach, backing away slightly, but still keeping a watchful eye on the woman and Nicole. When she examined the body, she saw that the woman was in fact breathing.

  
“I need an ambulance to the back entrance of Purgatory Park. A woman, early twenties, is passed out in the back of her car.” Nicole called in to the local EMS station.

  
“Okay, I just sent them out, they will be there shortly.” Frank replied seconds later. Nicole brought her attention back to the dog next to the girl. It amazed her the bond that this dog had to its owner, staying with her.

  
“You’re a good dog.” She spoke to the dog, giving it a careful pet on the head, scratching it by the ear. She noticed a particular tag on its collar.

  
“Service Dog:TBI/Syncope.” Nicole read the red tag aloud. The woman gasped suddenly before coughing. The dog responded immediately, easily tugging out of Nicole’s grasp. She watched as the dog gently crawled its way back to the woman’s chest, licking at her face as soon as her eyes opened.

  
“What a doozy that one was, huh, Bugs?” She heard the woman croak out, slowly scratching behind the dog’s ear. The dog lapped at the woman’s face more fervently.

  
“Okay, okay. Stop.” The woman pushed the dog aside a bit, trying to sit up. It was then when Nicole spoke up.

  
“Ma’am, my name is Nicole Haught, Purgatory PD. Are you okay?” The woman jumped a bit, finally pushing herself into a sitting position, her dog still sprawled out against her legs. Nicole finally got a good look at the woman, she was beautiful, that much was obvious.

  
“Yes, I’m fine officer. I just had a syncope spell is all. I just need a few minutes to gain my backing and I’ll be good.” She said as she pet her dog.

  
“I’d like to stay with you until the EMTs get here if that’s okay?” Nicole noticed the woman’s affect change instantly.

  
“Now why did you call the medical squad? I was fine, Bugsie alerted just fine. I got to my car on time and was only out for,” The woman took a second to look at her watch. “Four or five minutes. Which all things considered wasn’t bad.” Nicole was taken aback by this young woman in front of her. She was just trying to help her. What was her issue?

  
“I am sorry, ma’am. I saw you passed out and didn’t know what to do.” Nicole stuttered out. Waverly was already ignoring her, on her cellphone.

  
“Frank? Yeah, it’s Waverly. Yes, I’m the woman dead in the park. Ha ha, Frank. You need to think up some better jokes, yours are getting as old as you.” They talked a few minutes more before the woman hung up, turning her attention back Nicole.

  
“Thanks again, Officer. But I can take it from here.” Waverly moved herself to sit on the edge, slipping herself into her wheelchair with practiced ease. Nicole respectably backed off a bit.

  
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to follow you back home? Just in case? I know it’d make me feel more comfortable knowing you got home safe.” Waverly rolled her eyes along with her wheels. The former wasn’t seen by Nicole.

  
“Okay, but I need to stop at my work to pick up my check before heading home. Is that going to be a problem?” Nicole wants to mention how the girl was just passed out in the back of her car, but thought better of it. She nodded her head, following her around her car. She opened the door for Waverly, out of plain politeness. Waverly looked up at her and Nicole swore she was going to yell at her again. But to her surprise she just thanked her before hoisting herself into the driver’s seat. Nicole was about to ask if she needed help with her chair, but thought better of it instead going over to passenger side. She opened it, about to climb in when the dog jumped in ahead of her. She looked to Waverly for assistance. The girl just giggled in response.

  
“Now Officer, I knew you were polite enough to open my door, but opening Bugsie’s door, now that’s just over the top.” Waverly giggled again, petting Bugsie all over, cooing.

  
“Of course. Does he need me to buckle him up too?” Waverly rolled her eyes good naturedly as Nicole hopped in the back seat.

  
“That’s my car over there.” Nicole pointed at the only car and police cruiser in the parking lot.

“No, I thought it was the one over there.” Waverly pointed to random unoccupied parking space as she pulled up next to Nicole’s cruiser.

  
Nicole thought once she was out of the car, Waverly was going to haul out of the lot like no tomorrow. Again, she was surprised when she kept her word and let Nicole follow her. Though Nicole suspected it was more Waverly placating her than it was her actually helping Waverly.

* * *

 “So, what’s with the escort?” Shorty asked, thumbing to the cruiser currently parked in front of his bar. Waverly let out an exasperated sigh.

  
“She was patrolling the park this morning and saw me in the middle of one of my episodes and thought it to be wise if she following me home. I told her no, but she kept at it. And I had things to do, so I thought it’d be easier than bickering about it for longer.” Shorty just chuckled.

  
“She must be the new deputy Nedley was talking about. She’s got all the qualities he was looking for and then some.” Shorty commented, looking back out the window at Nicole who was currently leaning against her car waiting for Waverly to return.

  
“Yeah, well that may be, but right now she’s being a thorn in my side more than anything else.” Shorty put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

  
“Let her down easy, hey? She’s just trying to help a damsel in distress.”

  
“Yeah, well she needs to look elsewhere.” Waverly scoffed as she rolled away from the bar, calling Bugsie to follow.

“Have a good night, sweetheart. See you tomorrow.” Waverly waved as she went out the door.

  
“Waverly.” Nicole greeted, tipping her Stetson. She rushed to Waverly’s driver’s side and opened her door, much to Waverly’s annoyance. Nevertheless, she thanked her again, climbing in. To Waverly’s surprise, Nicole didn’t even try to assist her any further, instead she went over and got into her own vehicle.  
Waverly got her wheelchair apart and in her car, letting Bugsie in his side and drove off home with Nicole behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

The day was slow to begin with and the night was even slower for the Purgatory Police Department. Greg, the senior deputy, went home early to have dinner with his family, his daughters were up from college for the week. So, it was just Nicole and Nedley in the office. The latter of which was distracted by filling out incident reports that he let pile up for a few days. Nicole’s thoughts were back a few weeks when she had met the woman in the park. That infuriating and beautiful girl that seemed to take space in Nicole’s mind whenever she had a free second. She didn’t know why Waverly Earp had taken up lot in her brain. It’s not like she tried to think of her every minute of the day, it just happened. At home while she was reading, her mind would drift off to long tresses of brown hair and those striking brown eyes full of something Nicole could place. There also was the fact that no matter how much Nicole had tried Waverly wouldn’t allow her to help in anyway. She couldn’t take it any more. She needed answers to alleviate her mind.

“Hey, Nedley?” The older man gruffed, taking his attention off his laptop.

“Can I ask you a question about Waverly Earp?”

“That spitfire? What do you want to know?”

“Why is she so infuriating?” Nicole let out a frustrated groan. Nedley just laughed at her, shutting his laptop.

“She’s independant. Very much so. But she wasn’t able to be for so much of her life.” Nicole couldn’t picture the girl she had met ever being weak or dependent on someone.

“What do you mean?” The gruff man shook his head.

“Now, it’s not my place to divulge any of her past, but what I will say is this. Waverly wasn’t able to do things for years without the assistance of her aunt, uncle, or sister being up her bum, It changed when she got Bugsie a few years back. I think she gets so defensive when someone tries to help her because she sees it as someone trying to take away the independence she worked so hard to get.” Nicole put her head in her hands, she had to apologise to Waverly for her ignorance. The thing was, she didn’t know when she’d see the girl again.

“Hey, kid. Why don’t you, y’know, get outta here. It’s been slow. I can handle it alone until Daryl comes in.” Nicole was about to decline his offer when he spoke again.

“Go grab something at the pub, or something. Wind down.” Nedley dismissed her with a wink as he left to his private office, shutting the door. Nicole just smiled, shaking her head, as she grabbed her hat and coat, heading out the door.

* * *

 “Hey, Sweetie. Give me ‘nother double.” Waverly turned to see it was one of the older gentlemen from the pool tables. She smiled at him, making his drink.

“Here you, Amos.” He winked at her as a thanks, slapping down a five as a thanks, which she pocketed before turning to her dog. Bugsie was currently laying down behind the bar, unnoticeable to the general public, but still within alerting distance for Waverly.

“Just a few more hours, pup. I’m feeling pretty good right now, but you know how long that can last.” She gave his head a short pet before stretching up when the bell went off.

“Good evening!” She gave a generic greeting to whoever was coming through the door. It was when she noticed it was the female officer from last week that her face changed.

“Hello, Officer.” She greeted a bit more closed off.

“Good evening, Miss. Earp. And, please, call me Nicole.” Nicole took off her Stetson, placing it gently on the bar. Waverly could feel herself tense up, making Bugsie take notice and sit up against her left calf. Waverly nodded, but shrugging off the gesture of informality all the same.

“What can I get you tonight?” She forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look too fake. From the grimace on Nicole’s face it didn’t work.

“Uh, just a Ginger Ale, please.” Nicole climbed atop a bar stool in the center of the bar as Waverly went to get her soda. A few moments later, Waverly returned, setting the glass on the coaster in front of Nicole.

“Enjoy.” She smiled again, smaller and a bit less forced, before leaning against the back bar, staring off.

“Look, I didn’t come here to get Ginger Ale.” Nicole spoke after a few minutes of awkward silence, well on her part.

“You didn’t? Then why’d you come here?” Waverly stood up straighter, crossing her arms against her chest. Nicole took a deep breath in and let it out before speaking.

“People have told me I have a bit of a hero complex. Which I guess is one of the reasons I became a cop. That’s not the main reason; that is because my father was a police chief when I was growing up and I saw what pride her had for his job and town, and I guess I wanted to feel that sort of thing too. To connect with him in some way. That’s… That’s not the point.” Nicole could feel her face heating up, but wanting to get this out, she continued.

“Going back to the hero complex, when I see a woman hurt or helpless, _presumably helpless_ , I have to try my damnedest to help her in any way that I can. I can’t help it. It gets worse the more attached or attracted to the woman I am. Not… Not that I’m attracted to you. And not to say that you’re not beautiful because that couldn’t be further from the truth. God, I’m not helping myself, am I? I came here to say I’m sorry for coming in and stomping on your, and Bugsie’s, toes.” Nicole looked up from the glossy bar after she was sure her face wasn’t tomato red. She saw that she wasn’t the only one wearing a blush. Waverly’s cheeks, from what she could tell, had a dusting of pink on them as well. She took a sip of her Ginger Ale, wetting her dry throat, before engaging the girl again.

“Where is that handsome pup anyway?” Nicole couldn’t remember seeing him when she walked into the pub and she couldn’t see him now either.

“He’s back here.” Waverly motioned for her pup to sit up straight beside her. The bar was still a head than the dog, so Nicole still had to lean over the bar a bit to get a look at him. She waved awkwardly, unsure of what else to do.

“Shit, I wasn’t supposed to do that, was I?” Nicole sat back down in her stool embarrassed.

“Normally, no. But right now he’s not vested and you honestly didn’t know.” Waverly smiled, amused.

“What does “not vested” mean? Besides the obvious of not having a vest on.” Nicole asked, taking a sip of her drink and looking toward Waverly’s hip where she saw the tips of two fuzzy brown and black splotched ears.

“It means different things to different people, but in the terms of my and Bugsie’s relationship it means he can be more relaxed and he doesn’t need to keep as close of an eye on me as he would if he had his vest on.” Nicole nodded as she took the information in.

“He wasn’t vested at the park either.” Nicole noted a few moments later. Just thinking back to when she discovered Waverly passed out in the back of her car made her stomach churn. And yet, from Waverly’s reaction at the time, it was so normal to her.

“No, he wasn’t. It was our normal day at the park. I do it for him once or twice a week to let him get out his bound up energy and to have fun and play with him. But just because he doesn’t have his vest on doesn’t mean he’s not working. He works everyday, vested or not. The only time I don’t have him vested is in the places I’m most comfortable.” Nicole could see how much Waverly depended on Bugsie, it was like nothing she had ever seen before.

“Wow, I’m just amazed. I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries with the questions.” Waverly shook her off. She was surprised in herself with how open she was being with Nicole. This woman was not at all the same woman she remembered when she woke up in the back of the SUV.

“Don’t be, I’d rather someone ask than just assume. You know what they say about assuming-”

“It makes an ass out of you and me.” Nicole finished, both girls smiling. She raised her glass, silently saluting Waverly.

“Well I already did that last week, made an ass out of myself. So, thanks for putting up with it, again.”

“No, you were doing your job. Trying to be hero. It was me who was the ass. I guess I’m just not used to people helping me without trying to control every aspect of my life. Never the matter, do you want to meet Bugsie?” The question caught Nicole off guard.

“Can I? Like is it safe?” Waverly couldn’t help but laugh at the look in Nicole’s face. At the same time, it made her feel an indescribable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Of course. He loves people and doesn’t get nearly enough social interaction. I don’t think there is enough in the world.” She bent down to stroke Budgsie’s head. “Ain’t that right, Bugsie Boy?” Waverly looked over to Nicole who was now standing by the edge of the bar. She brought Bugsie up to her.

“Bugsie, this is Nicole. Nicole, Bugsie.” Waverly watched as Nicole just stared down at the dog, not budging. She giggled.

“Really, Nicole, it’s fine. I’m fine. You can can pet him.” Nicole looked from Waverly to Bugsie, taking a knee in front of the dog. She held out her hand, letting him sniff it. After a few seconds she let her hand pet down his head to his back.

“Hey, puppy dog. You’re such a pretty, uhm excuse me, _handsome_ boy. And so smart and important.” She kept petting his head, eventually bringing in her second hand and scratching behind both of his ears. She could tell he really like it when not only his tail started wagging but his whole butt too. She and Waverly shared a look and started laughing.

“Excuse me, Ma’am.” Waverly turned her attention to the customer on the other side of the bar. She excused herself from Nicole, making her way to the man. Nicole noticed Bugsie’s switch in demeanor, instantly letting him go back to his human. She got back up to her feet and back to her seat.

She watched Waverly interact with the customer, laughing and conversing as she mixed him a drink. She really was amazing. Not just because of her perseverance in taking on each day as they come, but doing it with beauty and grace. There was no denying that she was attracted to this woman, but it was much deeper than that. And no, her “hero complex” wasn’t a factor in this. She didn’t want to save Waverly, it was crystal clear that she didn’t need to be saved. What she wanted most was to befriend the girl, to make her smile like she deserves to smile. And, well, if anything more were to come of it, well she wouldn’t complain.

Nicole checked her phone for the time, seeing it was five of one in the morning. She had to be at work in less than six. She was going to wait until Waverly was done with the customer who interrupted them, but then a few more came to the front. Nicole sighed finished her Ginger Ale, digging in her breast pocket for her money clip. She grabbed it, taking out a ten dollar bill along with her business card, setting them both under her empty glass before leaving the pub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter! Thanks for the feed back on the first one. It is very much appreciated! I love reactions, keep them coming!  
> Also, I know it says Rated M, and it will be eventually, but it's going to be a slow burn. I know slow burns suck, trust me I KNOW, but it's going to be worth it.  
> Posting wise, I am going to try to get a chapter a week out, my normal posting days will be Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays.  
> Thanks :)


	3. Chapter 3

This day was the worst day by far that Waverly could remember having in a while. She wasn’t feeling the best when she woke up this morning, which she should have taken to be a sign for her to stay in bed, but of course she didn’t. She got up and showered, that took like three spoons* mainly because she had to shave her legs, they were atrocious. Today was also her scheduled day to bathe and brush Bugsie, so she did that after, which took an hour and a half and another three spoons out of her; all together that made six spoons gone before noon. Not good. But was that going to deter Waverly “I can do it all” Earp? No. She had plans with her friends that had been arranged weeks ahead of time. Waverly didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, she could count the friends she did have on one hand. Growing up, she had a big group of friends, but after her first TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) that number began to dwindle down.

Her first TBI happened during the middle of her sophomore year of high school. She was as outgoing as a girl could be, full of energy and school spirit, so being a cheerleader came naturally to her. She was one of the most flexible fliers on her squad. It was the game before the football championship game and along with their normal halftime show, her squad was trying out different combinations of stunts to see which flowed more smoothly together. It was during a routine Double Twist Cross, a move in which two flyers were hoisted and propelled up multiple times until they gained enough momentum and then they would each twist their bodies so when the bases would toss them past each other their bodies would twirl in the air and then be caught by the opposite’s bases. That was what was _supposed_ to happen, what actually happened was her and Tiffany, the other flier, were propelled fine, but when Tiffany twisted her body she twisted the same way Waverly did, so when they were tossed, they collided forehead to forehead. It was Tiffany who was crying when they hit the ground in a single thud. Waverly’s head hurt like hell, but she wasn’t one to cry over “boo boos”. It was only when she began to see white spots in her vision that she thought to mention it to her coach, but it was too late because as she turned around to inform him, her vision went black. The next thing she remembers from that day is waking up in a hospital room, her sister, aunt, and uncle standing next to her bed.

Her second TBI came a few weeks after the first one, a cheerleading accident again. She was again stunting with Tiffany, this time though it was during a simple toss up to where the bases would toss the fliers up and catch them by their feet in a stand up position and then the fliers would connect legs and hands in the middle. They had done this stunt at least a hundred times, so they all knew how and what to do when, it was like a well oiled up machine. With the exception of this time, of course. Waverly was poled successfully by Brian and Tom, Tiffany by Derrick and Quinton, they clicked together, like normal, but somehow Tiffany lost her balance and in turn her footing, bringing down herself and Waverly too. Waverly twisted her ankle and hit her head off of the ground, passing out on impact. She again remembers waking up in a hospital room with Wynonna, Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus. It was at this time, backed up by the doctor, that her aunt urged her to quit the squad. She was still taking medication for her last TBI and to get another one not even a month after the last, it wasn’t in her best interest to risk injuring her brain again. She agreed, reluctantly, insisting she would be fine if Tiffany were to be kicked off instead of her. The squad came to visit her a few times in the months she was practically house bound. She was brought down to half a day of school, three days a week. She had a tutor to help fill in the rest of what she missed at school.

She was cleared to go back to school full time about a month after her junior year started. It was then when she realized that leaving the squad meant her friends leaving her too. It hurt, there was no denying that, but Waverly had bigger issues in her life than stupid, stuck up fake friends. She had been experiencing dizzy spells more and more frequently. It was only a few months after going back to school that she experienced her third TBI, the one that sealed her fate as it was. She was doing nothing out of the ordinary. She was moving in between a row of desks to get to her seat when she started to feel dizzy, so she did what her doctor told her to do: sit down, lay her head on a flat surface and wait for it to pass. It didn’t pass, instead Waverly passed out, hitting her head on the corner of the desk on her way down to the cement floor. How, Waverly chalked it up to her good luck. She was picked up by an ambulance, her aunt meeting her at the hospital. The doctor told her that she was to take the rest of the year off, and be bound to a wheelchair indefinitely. She most definitely wasn’t okay with that, but she had no fight left in her at that point. She complied, choosing to sleep the rest of that day and was fitted for her wheelchair the next morning.

It has been a few years since her last TBI, five to be exact. In that time she has accomplished so much. She graduated high school on time with honors. She got herself off of most of her medications and the wheelchair dependency, through the help of Bugsie and her family. She has also enrolled herself in college part time for a bachelors in foreign affairs with a minor in European languages. She took online classes, it was cheaper and easier for her in her situation. It was through those online classes that she met the handful of friends she has now. They all shared commons interests other than school and talked almost every other day.

“Hey, Bugs, you wanna go get me my keys and your leash?” She pointed to hook where they both hung. She sat down and put her shoes on when Bugsie came back, dropping the leash and keys beside her on the sofa.

“Good boy, Bugsie.” She pat the top of his head, signalling him to sit so she could put his vest on. She pulled herself off of the couch.

“Let’s get this day started, huh?” She took the lead of his vest as he lead her to the door.

* * *

 Waverly made it to the restaurant only a few minutes after one, surprising herself that she wasn’t later than that. She saw her friends were already in a booth. She smiled at the maitre d as she made her way to the table. She put her brakes on, giving Bugsie the command to crawl/lay underneath her wheelchair.

“I’m sorry I’m a bit late. My day started pretty crappy. I think I started with like negative ten spoons. You guys weren’t waiting long, I hope.” She took a sip of her water, addressing her friends, Bethany and Ryan. They both dismissed her apology.

“It’s fine, really. I know how that is.” Ryan put a comforting hand on top of hers, giving it a squeeze. Waverly smiled at him.

Ryan also suffered from syncope spells and cystic fibrosis, a lung disease that made normal everyday things challenging for him to do. He wasn’t in a wheelchair like Waverly, based on personal preference, but he does have a mobility assistance dog named Max.

“Is everyone ready to order?” The waitress made her way towards the group with a small notebook in hand. They all nodded, telling her what they wanted. It’s not like they ordered anything special. Every time they got together, they split buffalo wings with ranch dressing, a pitcher of Coke and a fruit salad with extra watermelon. It was better not to ask questions, but if you were wondering why, the answer is the very first time they got together, Waverly just ordered a fruit salad, Ryan got some wings and Bethany only ordered a Coke, but by the end of the night they all picked at each others food like they had been friends for a lifetime.

“So, how’s the love life, Ryan?” Bethany broke the silence that had happened upon them when the waitress left. Ryan sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Not that good?” Waverly guessed by his affect. Ryan confirmed that with single nod of his head.

“What happened? He was such a nice guy!”

“Cute too!”

“He was, _is_ , a good guy. I’m not saying he’s not. But he’s just not for me, I guess.” Waverly felt there was something more to that statement, but she knew if Ryan wanted to elaborate he would. So, she let it go. Bethany on the other hand wasn’t so easy.

“Come on, dude. Don’t just leave it like that. We’re your friends, you can tell us what happened. Did he not have a good size di… _eggplant_. Was it not thick enough, not good with the motion of the ocean?” Waverly’s mouth was still open when Bethany finished her “sentimental friendship speech”.

“Bethany Michelle!” She slapped her friend on the shoulder. Bethany shrugged unaffected.

“No, he definitely didn’t lack in the _eggplant_ department.” Ryan cleared his throat. “And the sex was great. It’s just a few months back he suggested that Max ride in the back seat, which, fine, that makes some sense. So, I had him go to the back. That was fine and I was okay with that. But a month or so after that he suggested that I leave Max home since he was going to be there with me and whatnot. I did it that time, although it felt awkward. I felt a bit naked to be honest, but I did it because he asked and he was going to be there. And it wasn’t like we were doing something laborious, we were just going out to dinner. But he kept _suggesting_ it and would get upset or annoyed when I would get upset or refuse to leave Max at home.” Waverly nodded, understanding Ryan’s situation. She hadn’t really dated anyone, at least anyone serious, since sophomore year in high school, but she could put herself in Ryan's shoes easily in that situation.

“That sucks. I mean service dogs are just as essential to a person as a wheelchair. Like, nobody would ask a person to leave their wheelchair at home to go on a date. Right, Waves?” Bethany had very little tact, but that’s one of the things Waverly loved about the girl, her abrasiveness. She wouldn’t be Bethany without it.

“I agree with our ill worded friend. He shouldn’t have expected you to do that. Max is your protector, your savior. He’s trained to assist you. Jonah wouldn’t have been able to sniff out a chemical change in your saliva to alert you to a syncope spell like Max can. I mean, I understand maybe that one time for a special date maybe, if you felt comfortable, but from what you said you didn’t. Which makes it an asshole thing to do, to take away the one thing that makes you comfortable in public. A service dog and its handler are a team; take me with my dog or don’t take me at all.”

“Yeah. Well, it is what it is, and what it is is over.” Ryan spoke with definitive finality and Waverly felt bad for him. But she or Bethany didn’t get a chance to comment any further because the waitress came back with their order.

An hour later and their wings were picked clean, fruit salad long gone, and the remaining Coke watered down with melted ice. The three friends were conversing about everything they hadn’t said or missed during their video chats or group chats when something caught Waverly’s eye. A mane of striking red hair. Nicole had just walked through the door and instantly Waverly’s focus was on her. She saw her give the maitre d what Waverly assumed was her reservation, smiling before taking a menu.

“Waverly?” Waverly was brought back to her table by Bethany waving her hand rudely in front of her face. She glared at the blonde.

“Rewr, retract the claws, kitty.” Bethany commented with a laugh. “Where’d you go, Wavey Poo?” Waverly felt her face warm up.

“No where. What were you saying? Something about Robert’s ex or something?” Waverly knew she was grabbing at straws, but she also knew that the mention of any of her boyfriend’s exes would distract Bethany from her current thought process. Bethany was a very possessive and jealous person. Bethany gave her a look up and down, but repeated herself nonetheless.

“ _What I was saying_ _was_ that Robert ran into Tracy at the gym this morning…” So it was about one of Robert’s exes, Waverly was good. She silently praised herself before looking back in Nicole’s direction. The woman was currently sitting a few tables away from Waverly’s table on the other side of a banister. She was seated alone, looking at a menu and sipping from looked to be a glass of red wine. She was out of her uniform and instead in a emerald green sundress with lace trim details and black wedges. Her hair wasn’t in its typical French braid either, it was down in loose waves just brushing her exposed shoulders. Waverly unlocked her breaks, getting ready to wheel over to the officer and invite her to sit with her and her friends. She was stopped in her tracks when she saw another woman approach the officer. She saw Nicole greet the lanky brunette with a full smile as she went in to hug her tight and give her a peck on the cheek. Waverly felt her stomach drop as she watched Nicole pull out a seat for the woman, laughing at something she said when she went back to her seat. She locked her breaks back in place.

“You going somewhere?” Ryan asked Waverly when he heard her break locked back in place. Waverly looked back to her friends.

“Huh? Uh, yeah.. I was going to uh.. Go to the bathroom, but changed my mind. I can wait.” Ryan raised an eyebrow as if to ask if that was really her intention, but did nothing more as he turned his attention back to Bethany and her story.

Waverly was between listening and half participating in her friends conversations and sneaking peaks back at Nicole’s table for a few minutes when she felt Bugsie wiggle free from underneath her chair. She didn’t think much of it; he sometimes did it when he felt too confined. She just told him to crawl and lay underneath the table, which he obediently did as he was told. A few minutes later, Bugsie was again upright, this time he adamantly poked his muzzle in the crook of her knee. She wanted to ignore him, but thought better of it knowing he was only this insistent when he meant business. She again unlocked her breaks, looking behind her before slowly backing up into the aisle.

“I'll be back, guys. Bugsie just alerted. I’ll be in the waiting room, the usual.” Bethany and Ryan just nodded, not batting an eye where others would be worried. It was a normal occurrence for them. Well, not normal per se, she had only had one serious spell that happened while they were hanging out. But they understood that it was her “normal” and they let her handle it as independently she wanted, which is why they were her best friends. She treated Ryan the same when he was bent over in a really bad coughing spell.

“Come on, Bugs.” She clipped his wheelchair leash to her left arm, rolling out of the dining room and into the far corner of the waiting room. She considered herself lucky when she saw the waiting room was completely empty. It was good, that meant nobody would freak out when she blacked out, or worse bother the EMS office like Nicole did. She shook herself out of her thoughts as she laid herself down on the cushioned bench. It wasn’t long when she felt herself become dizzy and seeing white spots in her vision. She crossed her arms across her eyes, slowly taking deep breaths in and out.

* * *

 Nicole was chatting with Natalie when she felt a soft tickle against her right calf. She brushed it off, swiping blindly, continuing to listen her talk about college and California. It happened again, and again, she swiped at the itch, coming in contact with a massive fluffy thing. A squeak of surprise came out of her mouth before she lifted her side of the tablecloth up to reveal a dog. Natalie noticed Nicole’s attention deter, she looked under the table too.

“Bugsie?” Nicole questioned as she got down from her stool, kneeling in front on the dog.

“You know this dog, Nicki?” Natalie asked, she too getting off of her stool, looking at Nicole. Nicole ignored her, instead looking to the dog for answers.

“How’d you find me, puppy dog? And where’s Waverly?” She gave the handsome pup a pet on the head which he readily returned with a headbutt to her palm. He then got down to business, gently taking her wrist in his mouth, showing her he wanted her to follow him.

“I’ll be right back, Nat. This is important.” She left the annoyed girl at the table as she followed Bugsie out into the waiting room. Her eyes instantly fell on Waverly’s empty purple trimmed wheelchair. She followed Bugsie more and saw the passed out girl lying across one of the benches. As she knelt down in front of the bench, just as a precaution for herself, she checked one of her wrists for a pulse. She found one of course, but it made her feel better checking. Bugsie jumped on the bench and carefully made his way up Waverly’s body, settling in a laying position on her legs, his front paws doing DPT on her upper thighs.

Nicole watched this in just as much awe as she was the first time. She didn’t know what exactly she was amazed by, she suspected it was the whole thing. The connection between Waverly and Bugsie was the strongest she had ever seen between a human and a dog. Then again, what they had was more than just a dog and human bond, they had a partner relationship. Nicole watched as Bugsie switched between paws, knitting almost like a cat on Waverly’s legs. She got up from her kneeling position, feeling almost unneeded. She essentially was just that.he Turning around, she headed back to her table when she heard Bugsie make a bit of a whining noise. She turned back and saw he was making direct eye contact with her.

“Okay, pup. I’m not going to leave. I promise. Just let me go get something and I’ll be right back. Okay?” She asked as she made her way back, giving the dog a pet on the head before heading toward the counter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy! I love how you guys love Bugsie as much as I do. :)   
> *Spoons are a way some disabled people describe how much energy they have or how much energy it takes from them to do a certain task. There are articles and even a wikipedia page that can explain it more than me, but that's the premise of the term. 
> 
> Thanks for all of the continuing support on my story. I love it! It is literally what keeps me going. :) Also, I know I said I would post on Wed, Thurs, or Fridays, but I keep getting idea for this story! So, that's why I keep posting chapters every couple of days or so. So, thanks for the comments! If you have any questions, praise, or criticism, I love it all, send it my way~


	4. Chapter 4

Waverly wakes up to the normal deep pressure on her upper thighs from Bugsie and when he sees that she’s coming too, he crawls up to her face, lapping it. This wasn’t an act that anybody taught him, but it definitely helps her calm down when coming back from a spell. It’s a comfort technic and she believes Bugsie knows this, so he does it every time he’s able. A few seconds and her face is thoroughly slobbered on so she stops him, pushing him back slightly.

“Ah, Bugsie, my bladder.” She pushes him completely off of her and grabs on to his vest for him to help her into a sitting position. She only notices there’s a person near her when she hears the person chuckle. She opens her eyes to find Nicole kneeling on the floor right in front of her bench. 

“What, are you stalking me now?” She asked, still a little hurt about earlier today. She looks at Nicole and sees hurt flash in her eyes.

“Uh, no. I uh - well, Bugsie actually came to me. Maybe he recognised me from the park and thought I could help.” That was weird, Bugsie had never went to get the help of anyone without her giving the command and even then it took a few times to get him to even leave her side. Waverly sighed, trying to clear her head and get rid of the tight feeling in her chest. She ran her fingers through Bugsie’s fur a few times, trying to come up with something to say that didn’t make her sound socially awkward or a jerk.

“Thanks for the assistance. I don’t know why he would go get you. When I taught him the command, which I didn’t use this time, it took me telling him at least three times before he would leave my side and go get my aunt or sister. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry for interrupting your date.” Nicole’s face went from confused to accusatory, a knowing smile surfacing.

“What makes you think I’m on a date? Would it be you who was, oh I don’t know, stalking me perhaps, Miss. Earp?” She winked to show Waverly she was messing with her. Messing with her or not, Waverly didn’t expect that to come out of the officer’s mouth. Her mouth opened, offended.

“I most certainly was not. I have you know I have much better things to do than notice a "wannabe hero" officer having dinner with anyone.” Waverly huffed, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Sure, Waverly. Whatever you say. But just so you know, I’m not on a date with anyone, I am merely catching up with my  _ cousin _ who is up from college for the week visiting.” Waverly still didn’t look at her which for some reason made Nicole smile. 

“I need you to look at me. I got you a present.” Nicole’s smile was evident in her voice as she waved the Gatorade bottle around the air. Waverly subtly looked over to see what Nicole was waving obnoxiously in the air. Blue Gatorade. She loved blue Gatorade. 

“All you gotta do is look at me and take it.” Nicole teased as she held it just out of Waverly’s reach. Nicole thought she had her, Waverly smirked internally.

“Bugsie, can you hand me my drink?” She watched as her dog gently took the drink from Nicole whose face was shocked. She smirked down at the redhead before cracking open the bottle and taking a long swig. Nicole looked a bit betrayed as she looked from Bugsie to Waverly. 

“Thank you,  _ Bugsie _ , for getting me my favorite drink.” She pet his head and his tail wagged so fast that it vibrated the bench. Waverly laughed and Nicole joined in.

“Thank you, Nicole. It wasn’t necessary and I could have handled it myself, but thanks for the Gatorade.” Waverly thanked Nicole, glancing from petting Bugsie to face Nicole who wore a wide smile.

“Well, Bugsie did help.” She smiled at the dog before getting up and dusting off her knees. She went to put her hand in her pockets, but remembered she was wearing a dress so she awkwardly wiped her hands on the sides of her dress. “Besides, I didn’t do anything more than I would if I had a friend who wasn’t feeling well. I know Gatorade makes me feel better when I’m sick, so I was kind of hoping it’d do that same with you. No biggie.” Waverly had never felt what it was like to swoon, but she imagined it felt exactly like this. 

“You bitch! You say you’ll be back in a minute and then are gone for twenty, leaving me to foot the bill. You were my ride and I thought you left me here. Jerk!” Natalie came out from the dining hall, giving Nicole a shove. She didn’t notice Waverly at first; It wasn’t until Waverly was getting back into her chair that Natalie’s attention was brought to her. 

“Waverly Earp, this is my loving cousin, Natalie Hanson.” Nicole sarcastically introduced the two wearily. Natalie’s face brightened right up at the name she had heard many times before.

“Oh! Waverly, the girl that my dear cousin tried to rescue only to be kicked in her nonexistent balls. Nice!” She held out her hand and shook Waverly’s.

“Uh, yes. Well it’s nice to meet you, Natalie.” She nodded and smiled at Natalie. “I’m sure I’ll see you later even if I don’t want to, Nicole.” Waverly said goodbye to the two cousins with a big smile on her face as she rolled back to the booth where her friends sat. 

“Geez, Waves, I was about to come check on you. Are you okay?” Bethany asked, worry seeping through her voice. Waverly got herself and Bugsie situated before answering.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It actually wasn’t that bad of a bad spell. It was over in maybe ten minutes tops.” 

“But you were gone for a half hour.” Ryan pointed out. Waverly hadn’t noticed how long she and Nicole were talking before her cousin burst through her little pink bubble. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Are we still going to go to the park for Bugsie and Max?” Waverly asked, trying to get her friends off the subject. She loved her friends dearly, but she’d like to figure out these feelings she was having for Nicole before she divulged them. She’d never had a crush on a girl before, if that’s what this was.

“If you’re up for it, Hun.” Ryan looked as if he wanted to push further, but thankfully he didn’t.

“Yeah, of course. I need fresh air and Bugsie needs the exercise.” She pet Bugsie’s head before rolling back and taking Bugsie with her.

“Come on, guys. Last one to the cars scoops all of the dog shit.” Waverly laughed as Bethany slapped twenty and a five on the table, not caring for the change before slipping past Waverly and Bugsie and easily out the door. 

“Guys, you know Max can’t run as good with the support vest on!” Ryan chose to pick up his German Shepherd and carry him to catch up. It almost worked, Waverly and Ryan were neck and neck up until the very end.

“Bugsie touch!” Waverly commanded her Australian Shepherd. Bugsie happily pawed the tailgate of Ryan’s dark blue Chevy pick up. Ryan dropped Max as soon as he got to his truck.

“That’s… *deep breath* So… *cough* Not fair!” He got into a coughing fit after that, Max bracing on the front of his owner, supporting him during his episode. Ryan grabbed the support handle on Max’s vest as he stood back to his full height. 

“Max knows the command too, so don’t even go there. You lost to a chick in a wheelchair, deal with it.” Bethany slapped him on the shoulder before hopping into his passenger seat.

“We’ll meet you at the park, Wave.” Ryan said, getting Max up and on Bethany’s lap and jumping into the truck himself.

* * *

 

The drive back to Nicole’s apartment was relatively quiet which wasn’t normal especially with Natalie in the car. Her cousin wasn’t really known for her lack of conversation. Nicole turned into her parking space, turning off the engine.

“Okay, what is it, Natalie?” She turned to her cousin.

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Yeah, exactly. You didn’t say anything. That means there’s something on your mind that will eventually makes its way out. So just get it over with any say.” Natalie got out of the truck, Nicole following.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, Nicki.” Concern shown on Natalie’s face, surprising Nicole.

“I know I’m an official cop now, but it’s not like a lot of dangerous stuff is gonna happen in a small town like this. I haven’t even had a domestic dispute call yet, Nat.” The two women made their way into Nicole’s apartment, Maddie, Nicole’s fluffy, grey cat greeting them with a soft mew as she rubbed against and in between both of their legs.

“That’s not what I meant. I mean Waverly, I know you like her. Or are starting to like her. I just don’t want you to get too invested and then get your heart ripped out… again. I know it’s been a few years since Ha-” Nicole put her hand up, stopping Natalie mid sentence. 

“Just don’t mention her name, okay?” Nicole hung her keys up on the hook by the door, kicking off her shoes on the mud rug before plopping down on her couch. Natalie sighed sadly, joining her cousin.

“That’s what I mean, Nic. You’re still hurt over what she did and that was what, three years ago? I’m just telling you to be cautious. She’s obviously got some baggage. Just don’t jump right into the unknown, you don’t even know if she’s into girls.” Natalie let her statement hang in the air, getting up to get a beer from the fridge. She came back with two chilled hard apple ciders, sitting down on her knees as she cracked the first one open and handed it to Nicole. 

“I know that you’re right, Nat. Trust me, I don’t want what happened to happen again. It almost cost me the graduation at the academy.” Nicole took a long drink off her beer, solemnly thinking back.

“Now, I’m not saying give up before you even try. I know you, and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I just want you happy. And if she ends up being a woman lovin' woman, then all the better. I mean she is cute. If I didn’t like sausage, I’d give her a shot.” Nicole just laughed along with her cousin. She really had missed Natalie being just a call away. 

Nicole was six months old than Natalie, but they grew up together as close as can be. Being in the same grade helped with that. In high school, Nicole was the stereotypical tomboy, participating in almost every sport you could imagine, while Natalie was more of a girly girl. The only sport she participated in was cheerleading and that was only for the necessary two years for it to look good on a college transcript. Nonetheless, even being integrated into different cliques, they were still as close as they could be. When Nicole, who wasn’t out to her family at the time, brought her “best friend” Stephanie to the prom as her official date, Natalie didn’t bat a fake eyelash. In fact, she worshiped their relationship, stating she wished she could find somebody that easily.

When they graduated, the two decided to move in together, seeing as they were both going to the same community college. They lived together for two years, until Natalie got a scholarship to go to the University of California in Los Angeles and Nicole was accepted into the police academy. They kept in touch through emails, text messages and the occasional video chat, but they hadn’t seen each other since they’d separated. It was refreshing to have her most annoying and favorite cousin back for a little while.

"Whatcha wanna watch tonight? Cable or Netflix?" Nicole asked from her room as she was changing into her sweats, getting settled in for the night. Natalie was doing the same in the living room.

"Whatever is fine for me." Natalie grabbed Nicole's big, fluffy rainbow blanket off the back of the couch, snuggling up with it.

"You're gonna share that ya know." Nicole told her cousin as she came out of her room, dressed in black sweatpants and a white v-neck tee shirt. Natalie reluctantly loosened half of the blanket so Nicole could climb in too. 

"Thank you. Now, how about we catch up on some Grey's Anatomy. I know we haven't watched it in a few years, but I'm sure it will entertain us for a few more ciders." 

"Sounds good to me, cuz." Natalie agreed as she clinked the neck of her beer with Nicole's pre-offered one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter! I hope you guys liked it! Now if you don't mind I have a few questions for y'all. :)  
> 1\. From which POV do you like reading more, Nicole's or Waverly's? Should I do more of one or do you like how it is now?  
> 2\. How do you like Natalie? Did you really think Nicole was on a date with another woman?  
> 3\. Have any of you watched Grey's Anatomy? I own every season out so far. I'm a bit obsessed.
> 
> Anywho! That's all I have for ya right now. Like I said, normal posting days are Weds., Thurs., and Fri., but if I get the time and motivation to write ahead, I'll post some chapters on other days, but I'll always have a chapter out on one of the normal posting days! :) I am kind of obsessed with this story, so it's bound to happen a lot and I'm glad so many are into it too. 
> 
> ~Paige~


	5. Chapter 5

Nicole got up relatively early for her on a day off. Her alarm went off at eight forty-five and she was out of the door by nine. Today was her only day off for the next two weeks and she had a long list of stuff to do, all ending at her aunt and uncle’s house for a barbecue get together/mini family reunion. First on her list was a trip to her local Wal-Mart, well that was the only place on her list. But it has everything, so that brought her to the second list, the much longer list of items she were to pick up for the barbecue. 

She parked as close as she could without parking in a handicap spot or firelane. Work smarter not harder, right? She was glad she chose to come to the store so early, there weren’t many cars nor people here at this hour. She grabbed a cart after she entered the first automatic doors, taping her item list to the front seat for easy access.

“First things first, coffee.” She spoke to herself turning immediately right as she passed through the second set of automatic doors and into the actual store. 

“Large coffee, half hot chocolate with two sugars and 3 creams. Oh! If you could add whipped cream to it too, that’d be great!” She ordered after greeting the barista handing her the money to pay for her coffee and the man’s behind her. She thanked the girl as she left, blowing on her steaming hot coffee and she slowly began her shopping journey.

* * *

 

“Waverly! Get up!” Wynonna announced loudly, entering Waverly’s bedroom. She hopped ungracefully on the bed disturbing both of the occupants on it. Waverly and Bugsie had the same reaction; Bugsie groaned and let out huff before putting his head back down between his paws, his handler let out a groan of her own before putting a pillow on top of her head, hoping to block out her sister. It didn’t work. Instead of being deterred, Wynonna tossed Waverly’s pillow on the floor, getting a louder groan out of the younger Earp.

“What do you want, Wynonna?” Waverly responded, knowing that any attempts to go back to sleep were futile. 

“Aunt Gus wants you to pick some stuff up for Shorty’s. Apparently they’ve run out of peanuts or something. I don’t fucking know.” Now Waverly was the one to huff, but she got up regardless of how annoyed she was at Wynonna. 

“You wanna take Bugsie out while I get dressed?” Waverly opened her closet door, moving hangers around trying to find something comfy yet presentable. She’d taken a shower last night so she didn’t have to worry about taking one this morning. She settled on a white blouse and dark wash jeans. Now the the question was, did she want to waste her energy or spoons French braiding her hair or just throw it up in a messy bun? She wasn’t going to go anywhere special and today was her day off, so messy bun it is. Wynonna brought Bugsie in just as Waverly finished tying her shoes.

“You want me to help with anything?” Wynonna always asked her if she needed help before actually assisting with anything. That was because when she was her worst, just getting into therapy and in the process of getting Bugsie, everyone tried to do everything for her and one day she blew up and refused help from everyone, including her family. That didn’t help anyone or anything, especially her health and recovery, and only lasted three days before her family and team of doctors had a meeting to establish boundaries. It’s been an okay process since; Her aunt and uncle stopped assuming she needed help with everything, only helping when she asked them. Wynonna stilled asked almost every time, which Waverly respected and loved. Normally she would say “no thanks” or a rude/sarcastic equivalent, but it was times like these where she really appreciated the gesture.

“Uh, yeah. Can you get Bugsie vested and in the car while I grab my chair.” Wynonna nodded before calling the pup over to her in a very loving and embarrassing voice specifically for Bugsie. Waverly giggled as she did each time she did it.

“Don’t mind her, Bugsie Wugsie. She doesn’t understand our special bond.” Wynonna spoke to the Aussie Shepherd. 

“Sure, I don’t. It’s not like he’s my service dog or anything. No, not at all.” Waverly deadpanned as she took apart her chair, putting it in the back seat of her SUV. 

“Exactly. He works for you, so he has to like you or he’s out of a job. He  _ chooses _ to hang out with me. Don’tcha puppers?” She messed with the fur on his head, making him sneeze. Waverly rolled her eyes, shutting the back door, making her way to the driver’s seat. Wynonna put Bugsie’s window down a little before shutting his door too.

“Tell Aunt Gus I say hey and that I’ll probably stop into Shorty’s before my shift starts. Love ya and be safe!” She slapped the back of Waverly’s car in farewell before heading back into the house.

It had taken forever to find a parking space that didn’t have some jerk’s truck parked halfway into the yellow lines marked off for wheelchair purposes. Did people think the stores painted those lines for their health or because they were so aesthetically pleasing? Some people needed to go back to driving school. When she did eventually find a spot, Waverly called her aunt. It turned out she needed about a dozen bags of peanuts, some Solo cups, a bottle of Grey Goose and few bags of confetti. The local university was renting out Shorty’s for the night and that’s what they requested. She opened her door and the driver’s side back seat, turning to pick up her chair’s pieces, putting it together. She was all done and about to get into it when a dark green Sedan pulled into the space right in front of her and, unsurprisingly, halfway into the marked off area. 

“Are you kidding me?” Waverly said under her breath. Did they really not see her or her wheelchair?  _ Really? _ People always assume she’s having a bad day when she enters a store or that she’s overreacting when she growls when she can’t find a spot the first time around a store parking lot. In reality, there are plenty of open handicap spaces open that her car could fit fine into, but normally those are the ones that have the assholes that have the majority of the lines taken up, so she essentially she cannot park there. It is a great day when she finds a spot completely empty, meaning no cars on either side of it, and if it’s a good head day too, even better. But those days were few and far in between. She took a few deep breaths before putting on her polite face.

“Excuse me?” Waverly asked, to no response. She tried again a little louder. That got the person’s attention. The driver was now out of the vehicle, making his way to the entrance of the store. 

“Yah?” Was all Waverly got in return. She had to stop an annoyed frown from forming on her face. 

“You probably didn’t see me, but I’m trying to get out of my car and into my wheelchair and you’re kind of parked diagonally into the space provided for me to do so.” She explained as clearly as she could without going on a rant on how it is against the law to park in the yellow area set beside handicap spots. The scraggly man scratched his stubble with his greasy hands.

“Oh, uh, can’t cha just put your chair a bit forward and face it toward your trunk and wheel straight ahead.” Waverly almost smacked her palm against her forehead. She was literally a hair’s width away from doing it. Instead, she put on her biggest, fakest smile and pressed on.

“I  _ could _ , but I wouldn’t want to scratch or dent your car.” She kept her smile intact while the man chuckled. Nothing infuriated her more than other people’s stupidity.

“Yah, ya don’t hafta worry about that, Hon. She ain’t nothing special. If it happens, it happens.” Again he chuckled before continuing toward the store. Then Waverly did growl. She laid her head against the headrest of her seat, closing her eyes and silently counted to ten.

“It’s alright, Bugs. We won’t let this get us down. Right, boy?” She thought for a second, trying to figure out the easiest way to get her and Bugsie safely out. She unlocked and opened his door a crack.

“I’m going to need you to get out and then sit, alright?” She spoke to him as if he was human. To her, he practically was. She pushed open the door completely and he hopped out.

“Now sit.” He did as he was told, looking up to her for more instructions. “Good boy. Now stay. I just got to get over to you now.” Waverly turned her wheelchair facing toward her trunk and wheeled it back to the middle of her hood. She slid out of the driver’s seat, grabbing on to the door for support as she made her way over to her chair. She sat down in her chair, closing the door and situating herself more comfortably. She didn’t even wheel herself through the smooshed space, instead grabbing on each car and pulling herself through. 

When she finally entered the store, she only smiled when the greeter welcomed her. It was times like this when she felt bad for the people who came in contact with her after instances like what had just happened. Maybe it was for the best that people stayed away from her, though. She was a lot to handle personality wise and at face value. 

Friendships were hard enough, not to mention relationships. She hadn’t met a guy in the later years of her life, that stuck around for more than a few weeks, not that there were a lot of prospects to begin with. She wasn’t really sure she wanted a relationship, was it worth the hassle and emotion trials that came with it. She barely had the energy to deal with her own issues, so did she want to put the little remaining energy she had left over into another person who could just all of a sudden decide she wasn’t worth their time and effort to begin with. This was what kept her from putting herself out there to find someone.

Her brain couldn’t stop her from thinking of a flash of red hair, caramel eyes, and a smile that could put the sun to shame, with dimples to boot. Her head told her not to assume Nicole was gay, but there was still the chance she could be bisexual, right? And Waverly could tell, she could just feel it, that Nicole liked her or was attracted to her. She could always tell with guys both in high school and at the bar too. It was just how glances lingered a little too long or how their smiles would brighten when she acknowledged them, or even how their eyes would go from making eye contact with her to slowly flitting down to her chest. Not that she caught Nicole checking her out, she hadn’t. But she just chalked that up to Nicole’s chivalry. That made Waverly wonder if Nicole had seen any signs in her; Had she been that transparent? She didn’t recall any feeling of sparkly eyes or knowingly checking Nicole out. Though, she did remember watching Nicole’s mouth more closely as she talked, but figured if Nicole asked or brought it up, she could just say she was trying to figure out where her accent stemmed from. 

“Mommy! Look, look! It’s a puppy!” Waverly was brought out of her haze in the party aisle while she was looking for the confetti. It seemed that her ears were trained to pick up the screeching sound of little kids’ from a mile away. It was like an alarm before the actual attack. The time between the kid noticing Bugsie and trying to pet him depended on the age of the kid and how far away that her and Bugsie were, usually it was only a few seconds. This kid topped off the list and was right there in less than five seconds. 

“Can I pet your doggie?” The kid was cute, she could give him that. She was going to do what she always did in cases like this, let him down easy.

“I’m sorry, Honey, but no. He can’t be distracted at any moment. It could be very dangerous for me.” She gave him a small smile to show that she was sorry. She was sorry; She could only imagine how it would be to be a little kid and see a cute dog where you normally wouldn’t. She understood, but some kids just couldn’t take the hint and threw an even bigger fit.

“Please, Miss. I just want to pet him once. Then I’ll go away.” She felt herself getting more and more agitated by the minute. Sensing this, Bugsie laid down in front of her foot stool, putting some space between the child and his owner.

“Hey, Oliver. Didn’t you hear the young woman? She said no. You think that puppy is very cute. That’s why you want to pet him, right?” Waverly couldn't help but feel relieved at the sound a certain calm voice.

“Yes! Just once, I swear.” Nicole’s face and voice turned stern.

“No, buddy. He’s got a hard job that never stops. He plays such an important role in society and I bet you’ve never even heard of it.” Waverly could see the little boy’s face light up, instantly interested in what secret Nicole was going to divulge.

“You may not see it, but he helps Waverly be able to come and go as she pleases. Without him, she would have to stay home and be all alone, and you don't want that to happen, do you?” Oliver frowned in thought.

“No, I 'pose not. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t go to the playground ever again.” Nicole nodded before ruffling Oliver’s hair.

“Okay, punk, where’s your mom?” 

“I don’t know…” Oliver answered, looking guilty. Nicole looked around, finally spotting the woman.

“Angela, are you missing something?” She smiled, seeing the older woman’s face turn relieved when she saw her son safe and sound.

“Oliver, where did you go?! Thank you, Nicole.” She took her son from Nicole, giving him a hug.

“You’re in trouble when we get home.” She steered him away from Waverly and Nicole.

“I hope he wasn’t too much trouble, Miss. Thank you again, Nicole.” She escorted him out of the aisle and towards the exit.

“Are you okay?” Nicole saw that as Waverly relaxed, Bugsie did too. Waverly couldn’t help but relax when Nicole stepped in. She told herself that it was wrong, that she shouldn’t make herself that vulnerable to anyone but Bugsie. That didn’t make it any less true. 

“Yeah. I just hate kids in stores. I never know if they’re going to listen to me, pet and distract Bugsie regardless of what I say, or even if their parents are going to believe me and respect that I say no. It’s a toss up everytime I go out into the public.” Waverly sighed, bringing her attention back to looking for confetti to avoid seeing the look of pity in Nicole’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Waverly. Kids can be jackasses. I’m sorry on behalf of Oliver, he's normally a good kid.” Nicole apologised, looking down to her hands. She looked over to Waverly and the basket in her lap.

“Having a party are we, Waves? Shot glasses, vodka, and even peanuts. Damn, why wasn’t I invited?” Nicole nudged the other girl’s shoulder. Waverly let out an amused scoff, putting two packages of shredded confetti in the basket.

“Confetti too? Sign me up!” 

“Yeah, ha ha. It’s not my party. Some local college kids are renting out Shorty’s for a private party. I’m just picking up some stuff for my Aunt Gus, the manager of the bar.” Nicole nodded.

“So no drunken wheelies from you tonight?” This time Waverly laughed out loud, shaking her head.

“Nope, not tonight. Sorry to disappoint you.” She gave her a sideways smirk. Nicole laughed and stuck her free hand in her back pocket.

“So, you got any plans tonight?” Waverly looked at Nicole like she grew another head. 

“Uh nope. I’m free. Why, what’s going on?”

“Well, Natalie and I, well some of our family, are getting together later today, around noon time, for a barbeque and lawn games. And all that good stuff. Would you like to join us, me?” Nicole finished her question shy and awkward. Waverly contemplated the idea.

“I’m sorry, Nicole. I think I’m going to have to decline your invitation. I’m just not feeling like interacting in a group setting today. Again, I’m sorry.” Nicole couldn’t help but feel disappointed by Waverly’s rejection, but she understood. She had to.

“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you around?” Waverly didn’t want to leave Nicole looking like she did; She looked like a kicked puppy. 

“Hey, Nicole?” Waverly spoke up as Nicole was leaving the aisle. Nicole turned to face her, but stood where she was.

“Yeah?”

“Tomorrow is the day Bugsie and I go down to the park for a few hours. We go around nine o’clock if you want to meet us there.” Waverly smiled. Nicole took it as it was and grabbed ahold of that olive branch.

“Sure, I’ll be there! You go by the back entrance, right?” Nicole’s smile was back full force.

“Yep. I can leave it open for you if you want so you don’t have to walk all the way around like last time.” Waverly felt lighter than she had in awhile. It wasn’t that much out of her ordinary routine, but she looked forward to having Nicole to hang out with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day?! WOAH. I hope you guys love this one as much as the last. Keep up the interest and I'll keep on writing! :D


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a few weeks since the first day Nicole and Waverly had hung out at the park and Nicole was higher on life than she had been since the academy. She and Waverly had been talking about a lot of things while playing fetch with Bugsie. She learned that Waverly was in college and was set to graduate in two years, if all fell according to plan. She found out that the girl had the most amazing sense of humor and an adorable laugh to go with it. She laughed most at Bugsie when he was being an idiot, which he was most of the time he was unvested. 

“What’s got you all smiley, Officer Haught?” Nicole looked up from her computer to see Greg looking over at her suspiciously. Nicole had cough to stop herself from blushing. 

“What? I’m not smiling. No more than usual that is, Sir.” Greg’s face showed that he didn’t quite believe her, but he wasn’t one to pry into other people’s business.

“Mhm. What time are you out?” He looked from his computer back to her.

“Uh. Five, sir.” 

“Well it shows here that you’ve clocked in a few days worth of overtime and it’s quarter of now, so why don’t you head out and have a cold one at Shorty’s on me?”   
“Are you sure, sir. I have no problem staying for the rest of my shift. I don’t have anywhere else to be really.” She slowly began to put her things together, making Greg crack a small smile.

“Ya, I’m sure, Rookie. Get outta here. And like I said, tell Miss. Earp it’s on my tab.” She needed no more coercion to get her out of the station than hearing that Waverly was working tonight. 

“Okay. I don’t work for the next two days, so I’ll see you on Monday.” Nicole put everything in her bag, grabbing her coat and Stetson before leaving the precinct.

* * *

 

Waverly was wiping down the freshly washed glass when she heard the bell to the front door sound off. She finished with her current glass before hollering out to the customer.

“I’ll be right with you!” Setting the glass down on the air drying rack, she grabbed Bugsie’s vest, making her way to the front of the pub. The person was already at the bar, patiently waiting.

“Natalie?” Waverly was surprised to see her again, let alone at Shorty’s.

“Hey, Waverly.” Natalie greeted. “Can I have a couple of Jagerbombs and a Ginger Ale.” Waverly complied, pouring the soda and then the two shots of Jagerbombs.

“You have a date or something?” Natalie downed the first Jagerbomb like it was nothing before addressing Waverly’s question.

“Nah, Nicole said she was getting out of work early and asked if I would meet her here. She said the magic words, “all drinks on me”. So alas, here I am and she is still late.” Natalie glanced at her phone, checking the time. 

“So, what’s a girl do for fun around here?” Waverly looked to Natalie, not sure of how to answer. Thankfully she was kept from having to when the doorbell rang, signalling someone entering the bar. It was the long awaited Nicole. A smile formed on Waverly’s face as she greeted the other woman.

“Hey, Nicole!” Waverly smiled, waving a little as she came to sit next to Natalie at the bar. Nicole grinned back at Waverly.

“What took you so long?” Natalie asked her cousin as she watched her drink the other Jagerbomb, gagging a bit after.

“I had to go home and feed Maddie. I told you that.” Waverly saw Natalie roll her eyes before turning back to Waverly.

“Can I have vodka and cranberry, please? What do you want, Nicki?” Nicole thought about it before settling on the same. 

“Can I have an extra lime wedge in mine, please.” Waverly nodded, leaving the two, going to make their drinks. A few minutes later Waverly was back, setting this mixed drinks in front of the two girls. 

“How’s Mister Bugsie?” Nicole asked, taking a sip of her drink and sneaking a peek over the bar at the Aussie laying by Waverly’s feet. Waverly looked from Nicole to her service dog and back.

“He’s been better. We were nipped at by a yapping pomeranian who got a reaction out of Bugsie because he broke skin on my hand.” Waverly pet Bugsie’s head in a comforting manner.

“Did everything turn out okay? Did you get the other service dog kicked out of the place?” Nicole worried more and more about what happened when Waverly and Bugsie went out into the public.

“Yeah, they were escorted out, unwillingly. And that dog wasn’t a service dog by any means. Service dogs may be trained by many different sources, but one thing is universal: aggressive behaviors are not tolerated.” Waverly was typically a light-hearted person once you got to know her, but there were a few things that she didn’t take lightly. One was people’s adamancy that all service dogs aren’t needed whatsoever. Didn’t people get that without service dogs with them, most people would require a person with them twenty-four seven. Their independence would be nonexistent and that was a thing Waverly would never allow to happen again. She held on to her independence with her life, literally. 

“I’m sorry, Waverly. I never imagined the struggles that comes with getting and living with a service dog.” Nicole went to reach for Waverly’s hand that rested on the bar, but thought better of it at the last second, instead taking another drink of her Capecod. Why would Waverly want her comfort anyway? She wasn’t anyone special to the woman. And she definitely didn’t want her to think she was babying her; that’s the last thing Waverly needed.

“Yeah, most non-handlers are.” Waverly muttered before she put her working face back on when another patron came up to the bar.

“Strike one!” Natalie whisper-shouted, pretending to swing a baseball bat. Nicole glared at her cousin’s childish behavior.

“I did not strike out if I wasn’t even up to bat.” Nicole finished off her drink, turning the empty glass upside down on top of her coaster. Waverly noticed when she made her way back around.

“Another vodka and cranberry with extra lime?” She asked. She started making the drink before Nicole confirmed it was another of the same. Natalie tapped Nicole on the shoulder, saying she was going to use the restroom and to make sure nobody took her seat. 

“Thank you.” Maybe the alcohol was helping calm her nerves because this time Nicole did place her hand on top of Waverly’s, getting the brunette’s undivided attention. Waverly’s eyebrows initially rose at first, scrunching in confusion. She felt her hand heat up at their points of contact. She had to force her face not to do the same. 

“I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you more upset about the situation. You can tell me to shut up anytime I’m making a jerk out of myself.” Waverly looked at Nicole skeptically who gave her a crooked smile. “Really, you can. Natalie does it all the time.” Waverly laughed at this. Natalie came back and sat down, looking at Nicole to explain. Her cousin instead just stuck her tongue out. Natalie shrugged, stealing a drink of Nicole’s fresh vodka and cranberry.

“Geez, Earp, who taught you to mix drinks. These are freaking amazing!” Nicole grabbed her drink back.

“Thanks. My aunt Gus showed me a lot of the proportions and Shorty’s has a guide to the pub specials. But sometimes I like to add mint leaves to give the drinks more of a fresh taste.” Waverly picked up a few mint leaves from the mini freezer under the bar, plopping a few into Nicole’s drink and the rest into her mouth. 

“Do you try your concoctions yourself or is the general public your personal guinea pigs?” Natalie tried to steal another sip of Nicole’s drink, but Nicole slapped her hand away and put her drink way off to the left side of her. Natalie pouted. 

“Will you make this child a mint vodka and cranberry before she brings on the fake tears?” Waverly laughed at the interaction between the two cousins. She made the new drink, dumping the old one down the sink. The three women were conversing when all of a sudden Nicole was ambushed by three guys. She let out a holler of surprise, getting Bugsie’s attention from behind the bar. He sat up on his hind legs to see if Nicole was okay. Waverly saw this and sternly corrected his behavior. But, being unvested and seeing as he already had a bad day, she allowed him to peek over again to see that Nicole was fine.

“What the hell, guys?!” Nicole slapped Victor and Sam on their shoulders. The two men laughed it off.

“Oh come on, Nic. Always be on your toes. Never know when a threat is gonna come up behind you and jump ya.” Nicole looked at her fellow officers, shoving them away from her.

“Shut up. If I had been on the lookout, you’d’ve been shot. So, consider yourself lucky, Samuel.” Nicole took the final gulp of her drink. Samuel just shrugged his shoulders, taking a swig of his beer. 

“Anyway, we came to see if you’d be Victor’s partner for a two on two pool game. He’s lonely since I got my girl with me tonight.” Victor put his hands together in a begging fashion.

“Please, Nicole. Pleeeaassee. Whatcha say? I got a cold one with your name on it if you help out a lonesome fella like me.” Victor winked at Nicole to let her know he was kidding. She shook her head, smile evident on her face. She turned back to her cousin and Waverly.

“I’m gonna go help this loser win for once. You coming or staying, Nat?” Natalie stayed rooted in her bar stool.

“I think I’m good here. I don’t want to move until I have to. You’re good, Nic. Go have fun with you cop buddies. I’ll stay here with Waverly, get to know her a little better.” Nicole eyed Natalie hard as the boys dragged her away. Natalie knew that look, it was one she and Nicole had perfected over the years.  _ Don’t say anything.  _ And Natalie wouldn’t... say that much. 

“So, Waverly Earp, what are your intentions with my cousin?” Natalie watched Waverly’s reaction over the edge of her glass. Waverly certainly wasn’t expecting that to be the first question out of Nicole’s cousin’s mouth.

“Huh.. Nicole and I -  _ we’re _ \- not dating!” It came out a bit squeaky and conjumbled. 

“But you could be, right?” Waverly was taken aback and didn’t know how to go about this conversation. She didn’t even know how she felt about Nicole herself, so she wasn’t going to go and shoot off her mouth with a stranger, Nicole’s cousin nonetheless.

“What we are or aren’t isn’t really your business at this point. I’m sorry, but our friendship is new and dear to me. Let’s just leave it at that.” Waverly’s face turned stoic.

“All I’m saying is if you don’t feel anything for my cousin, more than friendship, let her know right now. She’s been through a lot when it comes to girls like you.”  Waverly was going to ask what Natalie ment when she said “girls like her”, but Nicole had made her way back to them, tossing an arm around her cousin.

“Hey, guys! Guess who’s the undefeated champion of the pool table?!” She pointed to herself, flexing her arms. Waverly just looked at her before going to wait on a scraggly old man, Nicole turned to her cousin, confusion prominent on her face. 

“Waves?” Nicole spoke softly to get the other girl’s attention when she finished with the older gentleman. The brunette turned toward the redhead, no emotion showing on her face.

“Huh?” Nicole felt something come up in her gut telling her that something wasn’t right.

“Are we okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter! I don't know how I feel about this one, but oh well. I hope you guys like it. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Nicole slams her alarm off after it goes off at nine o’clock. Everything in her body screams at her to go back to bed and spend the next couple of hours before work sleeping instead of running a laps. She had been lenient in her workout regimen lately, so she forces herself out of bed. Slowly, she changed out of her comfy pajamas and into some shorts and a loose fitting black wife beater on top of a deep purple sports bra. She grabbed her iPhone and headphones, making her way downstairs. Maddie met up with her in the kitchen as soon as she opened the refrigerator door.

“Hey, pretty girl.” Nicole bent down to pet her cat on the top of her fluffy head. Maddie rubbed against her palm, moving to rub against her leg making her way to the fridge. Nicole laughed, nudging the fluffy grey cat back.

“You know you don’t get your wet food until supper time.” Nicole continued to pet Maddie, closing the door to the fridge. Maddie gave her owner a sullen look. Nicole couldn’t take seeing her furry roommate sad so she gave in.

“You’re lucky I’m a sucker for a cute face.” Nicole said as she emptied the can into Maddie’s metal bowl. She could hear Maddie’s purring and lapping as she left her apartment. 

She parked her car outside of the park entrance, doing a quick survey of the area. Even if she wasn’t on duty she could help but do it, it made her feel safer. After making sure the area was clear and setting the timer on her Fitbit, she was off. 

She noticed Waverly’s car a few minutes into her run as she was turning into a pathway. She stopped where she was, looking around for the girl or her dog. She saw them, Waverly was laying down on a park bench, her wheelchair and Bugsie stationary by her feet. Nicole made her way closer, getting Bugsie’s attention when he heard her sneakers scrape against the gravel. She noticed Bugsie wasn’t vested when he willingly came up to her, asking for pets. She gave in of course, stroking his head and scratching behind his ears.

“Hey, Waverly. Is everything okay? Today’s not your normal park day with Bugsie.” Waverly sat up on the bench and looked at Nicole’s face scrunched with annoyance.

“Today hasn’t been the best.” Waverly put her head in her hands. Nicole stopped petting Bugsie and sat down beside Waverly.

“Is it your head? Did you fall? You could have called me.” She instinctively went to check over Waverly’s head for any injuries. She stopped about an inch away when the other girl groaned and ran her hands through her hair.

“No. Nothing happened to my head or to worsen me medically. Not everything that goes wrong in my life has to do with my TBI or my head! I had to get out of my house because Wynonna was being… Wynonna. She was annoying my aunt and uncle and that started an argument between all three. So, I came here. I didn’t call you because I didn’t need to. I can do things all by myself, you know. And for what I can’t I have Bugsie for, so I don’t need to depend on one certain person.” Waverly took a deep breath after she finished her rant. She looked away from Nicole. 

“I know I can’t speak from any of your experiences, but I’m sure if you can get through all of that you do on a daily basis that a little fight from your sister and aunt is nothing.” Nicole gave Waverly a reassuring smile. Waverly’s face softened as she glared at the redhead.

“You’re not supposed to be nice to me after I just blew up at you.” Nicole just chuckled when Waverly huffed at her giving her a soft push. There was a comfortable silence between the pair for a few minutes.

“Is there anything else going on? Because from what I hear about your sister, you should be used to her acting the way that she does. No offense, I also hear she is a very nice person.” Waverly laughed at the last part.

“Oh ya? Who said that?” Nicole shrugs sheepishly

“There is something that’s been running around in my head. But I’m not sure how I feel or how to handle what may come of it.” Waverly tucked a loose strand her hair behind her ear, bringing her legs up on the bench. She sighs, leaning her head against her knees. Nicole rests a hand on one of Waverly’s knee.

“Am I going to get anything more about the subject or is this all I get?” Waverly looked up at the sky.

“Have you ever liked someone but wasn’t sure if your feelings were true or strong enough to try to develop it into something more?”

“Of course. I think everyone has moments of doubt when they first start to develop feelings towards another person. Whether it’s because they are scared of getting hurt or hurting the other person, doubt happens. I know I’m always afraid of being too overprotective; I’ve been told my chivalry can be construed as overbearing. ” Nicole stopped abruptly, rubbing the back of her neck, embarrassed. Waverly rolled her eyes light-heartedly.

“I never said that. I just value my independence. I’ve never had someone help me just to be nice. It’s always been because they see me as a frail person in a wheelchair.”

“I never meant anything like that when I helped you. I’ve only ever did things for you that I’d do for anyone that I was-” Nicole stopped mid sentence. Their conversation brought into silence. 

“Do you like me, Nicole?” Waverly asked almost shyly. She turned her body facing Nicole, crossing one tan leg over the other. Nicole couldn’t help but take a long appreciative look at the legs that were never exposed, but now were bare in the shorts that Waverly wore.

“I think it’s safe to say I have developed a fondness you, yes. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Waverly looked down at the ground, almost ashamed. She had been going back and forth between wanting to see where things went with Nicole and just ignoring the looks Nicole gave her when she thought she wasn’t looking. She didn’t think about how Nicole would take her over obliviousness, though, that’s why she felt sorry.

“I guess you’re right. I’m sorry.” Waverly didn’t know what else to say, and to say she hated floundering was an understatement. Nicole, being Nicole, once again put her hand around Waverly’s knee, bringing the girl’s attention back in her direction.

“Why are you sorry, I’m not. You may not return my feelings, but I’m not sorry about having them. It was unintentional, but it happened. How could I not be drawn to a woman like you? Not only are you beautiful,  _ gorgeous _ , but you’re so, so intelligent, Waverly. Much more so than I am. Fiercely independant too, I found that out the hard way,” Nicole chuckled. “But you’re worth everything it takes to crack open your shell. I know I said I don’t regret developing feelings for you, but that being said, I hope that doesn’t stop us from being friends because I would hate to lose your friendship over a little crush I have on you.” Nicole finished, turning to face Waverly. The girl looked so torn, eyes tearing up. Nicole’s protective instinct kicked in, sliding Waverly closer.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. Look, I’m sorry, we don’t need to mention anything about this ever again. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me. All I want is for you to feel safe and be happy, I can do that as your friend.” Waverly closed her eyes, a few tears escaping. Nicole softly wiped them away with the pad of her thumb. Waverly opened her eyes as soon as she felt Nicole’s hand come to rest on her cheek. The two women locked eyes, Waverly found herself looking,  _ truly looking _ , at the redhead for the first time. She really was so pretty. She had dark eyes with caramel flecks sprinkled in, the longest lashes Waverly had ever seen, not to mention the cutest dusting of soft freckles across her cheeks and nose. She didn’t know if it was a conscious decision, but Waverly found herself being drawn closer to Nicole, her hand mirroring Nicole’s, pulling the other woman nearer until their lips were a whisper away from one another. Their lips met in a gentle embrace. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make butterflies take up residence in Waverly’s stomach. Nicole was the one to pull away first, a small smile on her face. She softly ran the pad of her thumb in circles on Waverly’s cheek, enjoying the moment.

“I tell you I’m okay with being friends because I think that’s what you want to hear and you go on and kiss me.” Waverly looked up, eyes crinkling when she smiles. Nicole laughs at how cute the woman in front of her looks at the moment. She slowly slides her hand from Waverly’s cheek, down her shoulder and arm, watching as it descends, finally taking ahold of her hand. She takes a good look at their joined hands as the other girl intertwines their fingers. 

“As much as I am enjoying this, and I am believe me, but what does this mean exactly, Waverly?” Nicole asks after a few minutes pass them in a comfortable silence. She brings her eyes up to meet Waverly’s.

“I don’t know… All I know is that I like you a lot, Nicole. But I’m scared that you may end up getting hurt if this is just me jumping the gun on my feelings. I’m not very experienced when it comes to relationships in general, let alone with a woman. I haven’t even had a boyfriend since my sophomore year in high school…” Waverly trailed off, embarrassed. 

“Hey, you don’t need to be embarrassed about that. I haven’t been blessed with the best in the dating department either. Why don’t I take you out this weekend and we can see where it goes from there?” Nicole knew she may be overstepping a bit, but she decided since she wasn’t completely alone with her feelings, what better way to test the waters than to do just that. 

“I would love that.” Waverly felt herself smile again. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a constant smile on her face for this long. Nicole looked down at her phone when it started to vibrate. 

“So, I have to go get ready for work. Do you work tonight?” Waverly watched as Nicole got up from the bench. She stretched before turning back to the brunette who was lost in a world of her own.

“Waves,” Nicole waved a hand in front of the other girl, chuckling when Waverly came to, blinking rapidly. “Tonight, do you work?” Waverly nodded.

“Okay then, I’ll see your cute face after I get out of work. You can make me one of your awesome mint Capecods and we can work out where we’ll be going this weekend.” Nicole smiled before taking off towards the park entrance. 

When Nicole was far enough away, Waverly let out a quiet squeal of pure happiness. Bugsie stood up at attention, looking at his handler. Waverly pet his head immediately, letting him know she was fine.

“Bugsie, I have a date. Oh god, wait do I? I don’t think she called it a date. Did she call it a date?” Waverly asked her dog, concerned. Bugsie let out a single bark, butting his head against her knee and palm, making her pet him.

“Thanks, Bugsie Boy.” Waverly had a renewed burst of energy and was going to put it to good use. When she got back in her car, she sent a text out to Ryan asking if he was free. He responded before she pull out of the park with a ‘Yes.’. He suggested they meet up at his apartment in twenty minutes, giving him enough time to take a shower and Waverly enough time to go home and change for work.

When Waverly and Bugsie made it to Ryan’s apartment they were greeted at the door by a happy and hopping Max and a less than enthusiastic looking Ryan. He let Waverly and Bugsie in, shutting and locking his door, before plopping down on his couch.

“I thought you were going to take a shower?” Waverly was petting Bugsie before she noticed his attention was elsewhere. She ruffled his ears before giving him a kiss on his muzzle and telling him to go play. He bound in the direction of where he saw one of Ryan’s roommate’s cats go, whining. 

“Yeah, I fell back asleep. It was a rough night for me last night. I kept coughing and ended up coughing up a little blood. When that was over, I passed out in the bathroom for like a half hour before coming to. I think Max and I finally fell asleep around five this morning.” Waverly immediately went over to sit beside her friend, taking him in her arms.

“I’m sorry, sweety. Why didn’t you tell me that on the phone. I wouldn’t have come over and you could have gone back to bed, like you should do right now.” Ryan coughed a little before shaking his head.

“I didn’t want to sleep more. Plus, I haven’t had contact with people in like four or five days.” 

“This has been going on for  _ days _ ? Why haven’t you called or texted me?” Ryan weakly shrugged, shrinking under Waverly’s stern and protective gaze.

“I have a doctor’s appointment with my pulmonologist on Thursday, it’s okay.” He gave her a reassuring smile and a pet on the shoulder.

“Now, back to why you came here in the first place. It’s about Officer Haught isn’t it?” Waverly kept her stern gaze, gauging if he was being honest before deciding to leave it be. She broke into a giddy smile when he mentioned Nicole.

“She asked me out on a date this weekend. Well, she didn’t exactly call it a date, but that’s what it is, right?” Ryan laughed at his friend’s nervous antics.

“How exactly did this agreement to meet up happen?” Waverly told him all about their conversation and how understanding Nicole was about her situation. When she was done gushing about Nicole, she let out a content sigh. Ryan smiled at how enamored Waverly was with the new officer.

“I’d say it’s a date. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. This date definitely quacks. If you ask me, I think she didn’t call it a date for your sake. She doesn’t want to scare you off.” Waverly thought about what her friend said. She was looking forward to this date; She referred to it as a date. But was she ready to actually date a girl, to have a girlfriend? She’d never thought about it before now. That being said, she was willing to find out if that meant spending time figuring it with Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! A date? :D What's the matter with Ryan? :O How will their talk at Shorty's go? O.O FIND OUT NEXT TIME WHEN...  
> Waverly and Nicole talk, Wynonna isn't so oblivious, Natalie helps Nicole figure out what to do AND a (not so new) new character shows up in Purgatory.  
> **Wow it feels like it's forever since I've posted! When in reality it's only been seven days, but I think this is the first week where I haven't posted before the deadline, so that's why it feels so long.   
> ANYWAY! I hope you liked this chapter. I redid almost the entire thing because the original was much too angsty... So yeah. There will be a little angst still to come, but it will most likely be resolved within its chapter. I don't care to leave angsty cliff hangers. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Nicole felt like her shift went on forever, so when the clock struck nine o’clock, she was already packed up and ready to head out. She punched out her time card in the machine by the door and was halfway out when Nedley’s voice stopped her mid step in the doorway. She sighed, but turned around.

“Officer Haught?” Nedley walked out of his office, Stetson in hand. 

“Yes, sir.” Nicole walked back into the precinct, closing the door. Nedley looked glum which meant nothing good for Nicole. 

“I, uh, was just informed that Jane, my wife, was in an accident. She’s in route to the hospital right now. I know you’ve worked long hours this week and was probably looking forward to getting out early, but it would mean the world to me if you would cover the last four hours of my shift.” 

“Oh my God, yes, go! I hope everything turns out alright.” Nicole didn’t think twice about ushering her boss out the door. She clocked him out before she clocked herself back in. She definitely didn’t mind staying for him in the office while he went to check on his wife, but that did put a bit of a damper on her plans to charm Waverly Earp’s socks off tonight. She sighed, sitting back down. She leaned back in her chair and put her legs up on her desk. 

Taking out her phone, she scrolled through Facebook for a few minutes before she got bored of the drama and Vines that people shared. She put her phone back on her desk, groaning. It was almost ten o’clock; She didn’t want Waverly to think she stood her up. She looked around the building for help when her eyes flitted to the public records cabinet. She couldn’t, could she? It was illegal, that much Nicole was sure of, but would Waverly really report her? She weighed her options before deciding to take the chance, unlocking the E-M draw. 

She ran her fingers through the folders before stopping at Earp. Out of all of their hundreds of deceased relatives, there were only two blood Earps currently living in Purgatory: Wynonna Earp and Waverly Earp. The former and eldest of the the Earp sister’s folder took up more than double the space than that of her younger sister’s folder. That peaked Nicole’s curiosity, but it wasn’t the reason why she was breaking into the private records of the citizens’ of Purgatory. She grabbed Waverly’s folder, ignoring everything that didn’t look anything like a phone number. When she found Waverly’s current phone number she quickly wrote it down on a post-it before closing the folder and returning it back to its place in the drawer.

Nicole put Waverly’s number into her messenger, contemplating what to write to the girl and not make herself sound like more of a creep than she already felt. She took a deep breath and let it out, deciding on sending a simple, {Hello. I am really sorry, but I won’t be able to make it tonight. :(} She sends it and waits for Waverly to reply, which doesn’t take long.

{Uh. Who is this? -BAE<3-} Nicole mentally smacks herself in the head. Of course Waverly didn’t have her number. She’s not a creep who snoops through people’s public records to find their number instead of calling their work whose number is listed in the Yellow Pages. Although, to be fair, Nicole didn’t think of that until a few minutes ago, but still. She calms herself down before typing.

{Sorry again! It’s Nicole. I just wanted to let you know I didn’t forget or was purposely avoiding Shorty’s. Nedley’s wife got into a car accident and he had to leave, so I had to stay and (wo)man the fort.} She bit her bottom lip and hit send. This time it took Waverly a few minutes to get back to her. She figured it was because she had some customers come in, so she waited patiently. 

{Oh my gosh! I hope Jane is okay. -BAE<3-}

{Wait, how’d you get my number? -BAE<3-} There it was. Nicole wondered if she should just come out and tell her or lie. When she figured she couldn’t come up with a believable lie, not that she wanted to lie to Waverly at all. 

{I may or may not have snuck a peek at your file in precinct to get it…} She sent the message fast before she could talk herself out of it. Just like ripping off a bandage. Waverly was silent again. She heard the ding of a response  a few minutes later.

{You may or may not have done that? Hm.. Sounds illegal. -BAE<3-} Nicole laughed out loud, she couldn’t help it. Maybe Waverly wouldn’t be upset with her.

{Oh it is, very. But I couldn’t have you thinking that I deserted you. That’s a fate worse than the chance of arrest. :P} This time Waverly was quick to respond.

{Oh ho. Well I guess if that’s how you see it, I won’t report you this time. Though how about next time try a legal way of obtaining my number. Like I don’t know, asking me? :) -BAE<3-} Nicole smirked.

{Trust me, I won’t lose your number now that I have it. ;P} She sent the message. After the fact, she started to second guess if it was too forward for them since they hadn’t even gone on their first day. Waverly hadn’t responded for a long while. In reality it had been ten minutes, but it was long for their current conversation. 

{Sorry if that was too forward already. I just meant that I already have your number saved in my phone, hoping that you didn’t react badly to the way I got it.} It was another couple of minutes before she received a reply from Waverly.

{Sorry, my sister came in and was talking to me about her love life. *gag* And no, it’s not too forward. I saved yours as soon as I knew it was you. :) -BAE<3-} Nicole replied immediately.

{Oh ya? What’d you save me under? :P} Nicole was honestly curious. That and she loved the flirty banter she and Waverly had going on. It was all new and light.

{That is for me to know and for you to never find out, Officer Haught. :P -BAE<3-}

{What’d you save my number under? -BAE<3-} Nicole wasn’t going to give it up that easily, especially if Waverly wasn’t. She smirked before sending,

{Since you’ve chosen to execute your 5th amendment right, I think I’ll do the same. :P}

“Hey, sweety. Can I have another beer?” Waverly put her phone down on the underside of the bar before helping out the older gentleman. When she was finished and he left the bar, she turned around to find Wynonna sitting on the ground quietly feeding Bugsie every other peanut from the bowl she grabbed off the bar when she came in. 

“Wynonna!” Wynonna and Bugsie look up at Waverly, looks of guilt on both of their faces at being caught. Waverly tried hard to keep the look of irritation on her face, but it quickly faded into one of amusement. 

“You’re going to make him so fat.” Waverly commented as she stroked Bugsie’s head lovingly. Her sister shrugged before tossing another handful of peanuts in her mouth. Bugsie looked from Wynonna to Waverly, borderline puppy eyes going on. Waverly let the pup go, silently allowing him to indulge in the salty and sweet bar snack with her sister. She went to grab her phone when she noticed it wasn’t where she had left it. Looking around at the people sitting at the bar, she tried to see if any of them looked suspicious.

“So, who’s  _ Officer Dimples _ ?” Wynonna asks with a snicker in her voice, waving Waverly’s cell phone in the air. 

“What the hell, Wynonna?! Did you go through my phone?” Waverly grabbed the phone back from her sister’s grasp with a glare. Wynonna raised her hands in a surrendering motion.

“Gees, Waves. You have a secret lover or something? I just saw their name pop up while you were serving the old guy. Don’t give yourself an aneurysm.” Wynonna got up from the floor and dusted her butt off. She faced her sister with a knowing looking, but noticed her sister’s attention was elsewhere.

{You’re no fun! :P So, why don’t we discuss what we’re going to be doing this weekend over text since you can’t make it here and took the time to illegally acquire my number and all. What do you like to do for fun? -BAE<3-} Waverly sent out the text message not noticing her sister was right behind her until she felt her breath on her ear.

“It is, isn’t it! You have a secret boyfriend!” 

“Jesus, Wynonna, I am literally two inches from you. There’s no need to shout. And no, I don’t have a secret anybody.” Waverly locked her phone and put it safely in her pocket.

“Then who’s  _ Officer Dimples _ then. Hmm. Oh! Let me guess, who has dimples in the Purgatory Police Department?” Wynonna put her fingers on her chin, thinking. Waverly had a bolt of fear shoot down her spine when Wynonna mentioned the police department.

“Okay, so there’s Greg, but he’s married with two daughters that are your age. So, that’d be gross and you don’t seem like the homewrecker type,” Waverly glared at her sister, disgusted at her for even suggesting him.

“And then there’s Michael, but I’m pretty sure you’re not his type. If ya know what I mean.” Wynonna raised her eyebrows. Waverly rolled her eyes, taking her phone out of her pocket when she heard the familiar chime of a text message.

{My interests span over quite a few subjects but my top 5 would be probably have to be hiking, kayaking, watching overly dramatic shows (reality tv shows are my guilty pleasure ;]), reading and hangout at home with my cat Maddie. What about you, Miss. Earp? :)} 

“Oh! And then there’s the semi-new guy, what’s his name? Sam? He’s cute. I think he has dimples, although I’m not qui-” 

“It’s not Sam. It’s nobody.” Waverly cut her sister off, hoping she’d get the hint and shut up.

{Kayaking sounds like a blast. :) I didn’t know you had a cat. What’s she like? I don’t have a lot of things I do. I’m kinda bland. I like reading and watching shows and movies on Netflix. Playing with Bugsie at the park and I guess I like hanging out with my sister when she’s not being a bitch, which isn’t often enough. -_- She won’t leave me alone right now actually. -BAE<3-} Waverly hit send.

“What were you saying, Wy?” Waverly had only caught the tail end of her sister’s rant about her not telling her anything anymore.

“Nevermind. The only other people that have dimples in the precinct are Nedley, which  _ ew _ , and the new deputy Nicole. I think that’s her name.” Waverly didn’t say anything. Wynonna was genuinely aghast.

“You like Nedley?! Ew, that is gross on  _ so _ many levels, Wave.” Waverly punched her sister in the shoulder, hard. 

“Ow, what the fuck?! I was kidding.” Wynonna rubbed her shoulder, glaring at her sister.

“You better be.” Waverly left her sister to go serve the few customers that made their way to the front of the bar. When she returned, Wynonna was nursing her “injury” with a bag of ice. Waverly scoffed and rolled her eyes. She didn’t hit her that hard. She checked her phone to see she had a few messages from Nicole.

{Maybe we should go kayaking together sometime. How do you think Bugsie would fair in one? Why won’t your sister leave you alone? LOL Need some backup? JK I’m obligated to be here for the next 2 hours until Raymond comes in. *sigh*}

{And Maddie is a jerk most of the time and when she’s not, she’s up my butt with cuddles. But she has so many endearing qualities, like she’s soft and purrs really loud. She also attacks my toes when they’re covered, so there’s that. Haha} Waverly laughed at how Nicole described her cat. 

{Sorry about the wait, Wynonna was trying to figure out who you were. I think she figured it out. At first she thought I was talking to Nedley. *cring* -BAE<3-}

{And to answer your question, I think Bugsie would do okay in a kayak. He hasn’t been in one, but he LOVES water. Your cat sounds adorable. I’m sorry you’re stuck at work. :( -BAE<3-} Waverly couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face replying to Nicole which didn’t go unnoticed by her sister.

“So how long have you and  _ Officer Dimples _ been together? I didn’t know you were into tacos, Wave, but what a person to come out with. Good for you, sis.” Wynonna gave her sister a thumbs up approvingly. A blush spread across Waverly’s face. Since when was her sister so observant?

“Nicole and I aren’t  _ together _ . We’re just talking about  _ maybe  _ being together. She’s actually taking me out on a date this weekend.”

“So, where’s she taking you? How’s she around Bugsie? Are you interested in her as more than friendship ‘cause damn, if you’re not I don’t think I’d be against trying out that sapphic redhead.” Waverly scowled at her sister, but figured this was a better reaction than outright ignoring her and her maybe relationship with Nicole. Plus, it gave her someone else to gush to about the redhead.

“She’s great around Bugsie, actually perfect. She ignores him when we’re together and actually sees me instead of my wheelchair and dog and then me. Bugsie adores her too. I don’t think that’s happened before, not that I have many non-handler friends. And I don’t know where we’re going, that’s what we’re trying to figure out right now.” Waverly emphasized her statement by bringing her attention back to her phone. She read Nicole’s latest text.

{It’s okay, I’m just sitting here just in case someone comes in or we get a call from 911 dispatch. It’s really boring actually, unlike what I imagine your work is like. Shorty’s must be pretty packed right now. I can let you go if you need to focus more on the bar and its patrons. :)} Waverly smiled again at Nicole’s consideration. She was so cute. Wynonna put one hand over her heart and the other against her forehead, feigning being enamored. Waverly just rolled her eyes.

{No, it’s okay. I can multitask pretty well. :) So, my sister found out.. And made me realise, you haven’t said where we were going this weekend, or frankly what day we were doing it either. Care to elaborate? :P -BAE<3-} Nicole’s reply was almost instantaneous.

{If you’re sure. :) Are you okay with your sister knowing you’re going on a date with me? It is a date? I know you want to take it slow, and I’m okay with that, I was just wondering. And it’s a surprise. Just be ready on Saturday at 1. And wear something comfortable. Other than that, you’ll have to wait and see. :P}

{If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s a duck. -BAE<3-}

{Um? Okay.} 

{Sorry, Ryan was the one to come up with that metaphor. Of course it’s a date. At least that’s what I’ve been referring to it as. :) And Wynonna’s all good, trust me. -BAE <3-}

* * *

 

To say Nicole was nervous would be an understatement; She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this high-strung. Texting with Waverly last night had been fun and freeing. It helped her get to know the girl a bit better, which was great, but she still didn’t know what she was going to do with her on Saturday. She told Waverly it was a surprise because she didn’t want her to think she was lame and know that Nicole didn’t know where they were going. Now, it was Friday afternoon and she was still at a loss in what she wanted to do with the girl that had plagued her thoughts since she arrived in Purgatory. She growled loudly into a throw pillow.

“Calm it down, killer. What’s got you so animalistic?” Natalie had just got out of the shower, hair wrapped up in a towel. She sat down beside Nicole who was hunched over with her laptop on her coffee table, looking up diners near by.

“I told Waverly that our date was a surprise when in reality I don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going on our date. And it’s tomorrow.” Nicole rushed out, continuing to scroll through the tourist sight. Natalie laughed at her cousin’s antics, resting an arm around her shoulders.

“Well good thing you have a dating expert staying with you right now. Now tell me, what does she like to do?” If Natalie was surprised by Nicole’s confession about taking Waverly out, she had a great way of hiding it. Whatever it was, Nicole didn’t question it.

“Dating expert? I’ve never heard it called that before.” Nicole remarked sarcastically.

“Do you want my help or not?” Natalie rolled her eyes at her cousin. She was lucky she loved her and wanted her to be happy. Nicole nodded her head.

“So, what are her interests?” Natalie asked her cousin getting nothing but a look of utter fear. 

“I don’t really know. She likes watching movies and playing with her dog at the park. I don’t really want to go the generic route and take her out to dinner, but that’s all I’ve got so far.” Natalie liked fucking with her cousin, but hated to see her so miserable. 

“Why don’t you take her for a picnic at the park you say she loves to go to with her dog? It’s a mutual spot and it’d probably make her feel more at ease since she goes there so often. They only thing with that is food, do you know if she’s a vegetarian or has any food allergies?” Instead of an answer, Natalie received another grown from her cousin.

“I’d take that as a ‘No, I don’t know, lovely cousin of mine’. To which I say just pick up a two sandwich platter from the local sandwich shop and get all the veggies and a few meats on the side.” Nicole’s face regained its excitement. She took her cousin in her arms, giving her a bear hug.

“See, I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Nat.” The two cousins shared a mutual smile, chatting about more details about the next day’s happenings.

* * *

 

“Can I help you with anything else, sir?” The stewardess asked in a polite manner. The man turned around and smiled at the woman.

“No, thank you, miss. I know this town like the back of my hand.”  She handed him his hotel key with a smile and wished him a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Wynonna knows! :o Waverly is enamored! <3 and Nicole has the perfect date planned out for the two of them, or does she? FIND OUT NEXT TIME WHEN... Waverly and Nicole go out on their date, the mystery person runs into.. Wynonna? AND Bugsie saves the day!  
> **So, I published another chapter :) woo. Now, I have to start getting ready for work. :/ You guys should add me on Tumblr, if you want, you know I don't control you. :P It's la-locaconfudida.tumblr.com -- I frequently post random things and yeah. If you want to talk, that's where I am most of the time. :) NOW I have a question for you guys, who do you think the mystery person is and why? Thanks for reading and enjoy your day~


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